The Japan and Philippines legs of the International Premier Tennis League are complete and the Micromax Indian Aces are currently in first place. Led by Rafael Nadal, the Aces are 3-1 overall and have won 54.4 percent of their total games played.
With three stops on the schedule still remaining, the two spots in the championship match are still very much up for grabs. The Philippine Mavericks are not far behind Nadal and company with a 53.7 winning percentage. Also in close contention are the third-place UAE Royals (50.2 percent) and the Singapore Slammers (fourth place with 49.4 percent).
Tomas Berdych says the Royals are back in the fight:
The Japan Warriors, on the other hand, need to pick up the pace as soon as possible. They are 0-5 in matches and have won just 43.2 percent of their games.
No match has been more competitive than Tuesday’s showdown between the Aces and Mavericks. Team Philippines won its third consecutive contest at home in Manila, but not before it came down to the final point of the final set between Nadal and Milos Raonic.
With the overall score tied, Nadal led 5-3 in a tiebreaker only to give back a mini-break with an errant forehand. Raonic took care of his two service points before the Spaniard saved a match point at 5-6 with a big serve. That set the stage for match point for both players, and the Canadian seized it with a strong return that coaxed Nadal into another forehand error.
“I loved the energy out there today,” Nadal commented. “I had my chances; it could have gone either way, but it was a great match. It was a great afternoon; great tennis. [Raonic] played great and I missed him by two forehands at the end. But it was great fantastic energy out there and I enjoyed the crowd. I enjoyed playing the doubles, too. Ivan is a fantastic doubles player and I play singles well, so it was a good combination.”
Nadal-Dodig interview:
“I just played my game, stuck to the plan,” Raonic explained. “With Rafa out there, I knew I had to keep the points short, not let him control the game, and that’s just what I did. It is exciting to play the way we did all three nights in front of home fans, winning all our matches here.
“It’s a great format–very audience-friendly and tv-friendly. We have a great atmosphere in the team and are looking forward to taking this winning streak into the next leg.”
That next leg will take place December 10-12 in New Delhi, where Nadal and the Aces will enjoy home-court advantage. It will also mark the IPTL debut of Roger Federer, who is suiting up for the Royals. The last match of the New Delhi stop is scheduled to feature a battle between Nadal and Federer when Team India faces Team UAE.
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